Wilmington Personal Injury Lawyer - General Personal Injury

Vytorin and Zetia - Consumers Ripped Off

Jean Martin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 10:35:11 GMT

Doctors are being urged to cut their prescriptions of the popular cholesterol-lowering drugs Vytorin and Zetia in patients. A recent clinical study showed that Vytorin and Zetia were far more expensive yet far less effective than statin drugs. The study did not raise significant safety issues among patients treated with Vytorin, but did suggest that patients need not pay the higher cost for Vytorin because it is no more effective than the cheaper generic statin drugs.

Consumers have been duped and have been paying more for drugs that did not work as well as cheaper generics that they were already taken. Our firm is investigating potential consumer fraud claims on behalf of users of Vytorin and Zetia.

Vytorin is a combination of Zocor (manufactured by Merck) and Zetia (made by Schering-Plough). Vytorin and Zetia had more than a combined $5 billion in annual sales last year.

The study looked at whether Vytorin was better at reducing thickening of a neck artery than Zocor, an older statin drug that is readily available in generic form. The results found that showed neither drug affected the size of patients' artery walls even though they cut LDL, or so-called "bad" cholesterol, levels after two years on treatment. It was expected that Vytorin would have shown a small reduction in the plaque build-up in the arteries of artery walls because it lowered LDL cholesterol levels almost 30% more than levels were cut among patients on Zocor alone.

Some lawmakers have accused the manufacturers of delaying the results of these studies because the companies knew the results would be negative and would hurt the sales of Vytorin and Zetia. Both drugs cost more than Zocor, which is now available as a generic drug. The companies have denied the accusations.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Yamaha Rhino ATVs Unsafe

Jean Martin — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:48:36 GMT

Since its introduction in 2003, the safety of the Yamaha Rhino has been called into question. With several fatalities, accidents, and serious injuries, the Rhino is considered among the most dangerous all-terrain vehicles (ATV) available to consumers. As an acknowledgement of the accidents that have occurred thus far, Yamaha offered to install doors on all Rhinos as an increased safety measure, free of charge. The doors are meant to prevent riders from sticking out arms or legs during rollover accidents.

The height of the Rhino combined with its narrow wheel base creates a high center of gravity, making the ATV prone to rollover accidents. Even when used at minimum speeds, the Rhino's disproportionate design makes it a hazardous vehicle to operate or ride in. Unlike other ATVs, the Rhino rolls over during turns even at low speeds on flat surfaces because it is top heavy, narrow, and the tires are too small.

Though Yamaha has made alternative safety measures available to customers, still no acknowledgement of responsibility has been made for a faulty design. Yamaha has merely made amendments to the Rhino owner's manual and has offered advice for safer operation. The Rhino is still currently available for purchase, despite its unsafe reputation. Those involved in the unfortunate accidents believed to be attributed to the poor design of the Rhino have suffered from a wide variety of injuries. From severed limbs and head injuries to broken bones and numerous deaths, the list of those who have experienced a traumatic event as a result of the Yamaha Rhino continues to grow.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

ATV Rollover Accidents - Yamaha Rhino's Defective Design

Jean Martin — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:53:25 GMT

Despite its unsafe reputation, the Yamaha Rhino ATV is still being sold. With several fatalities, accidents, and serious injuries, the Rhino is considered among the most dangerous all-terrain vehicles available. From severed limbs and head injuries to broken bones and numerous deaths, the list of those who have experienced a traumatic event as a result of the Yamaha Rhino continues to grow.

Unlike other ATVs, the Rhino rolls over during turns even at low speeds on flat surfaces because it is top heavy, narrow, and the tires are too small. Even when used at minimum speeds, the Rhino's disproportionate design makes it a hazardous vehicle to operate or ride in.

Though Yamaha has made alternative safety measures available to customers, Yamaha has not changed the basic design of the Rhino or accepted responsibility for the faulty design. Yamaha has merely made amendments to the Rhino owner's manual and has offered advice for safer operation. The Yamaha Rhino ATVs are dangerous and should not be used unless you want to risk being another statistic.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Investigation Reveals Pharmacy Policies Cause Errors

Gary Shipman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:02:21 GMT

An investigation by USA Today has revealed that pharmacy errors at the nation's largest drugstore chains, Walgreens and CVS, are caused by corporate policies requiring that pharmacists work long hours and fill prescriptions in as little as two minutes.

A study by Auburn University in 2003 projected that the odds of getting a prescription as the result of an error by the filling pharmacist was about 1 in 1,000, which amounts to roughly 3.7 million errors per year. The results of the study undertaken by USA Today demonstrates that the corporate policies that require that pharmacists fill a certain number of prescriptions each day and reward "fast work" contribute to pharmacy errors.

The chain pharmacies, such as Walgreens and CVS, fill so many prescriptions that pharmacists are forced to work long hours with few breaks. Some "guidelines" obtained by USA Today show that pharmacists are supposed to be able to fill prescriptions in as little as two minutes, which leaves no time to counsel patients about prescriptions. The watchdog group Institute for Safe Medication Practices believes that such policies place "speed above safety", citing an investigation in Massachusetts that substantiated 62 drug errors.

Chains are increasingly relying on pharmacy technicians, who don't possess the same degree of training as pharmacists, to fill prescriptions, and errors by technicians are not always detected. Bonuses are also paid to pharmacists based on meeting company goals for filling presriptions by the time promised to patients.

Shipman & Wright, LLP handles cases for patients who have been harmed by pharmacy errors.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Gary Shipman

FDA Issues Warning About Heparin

Jean Martin — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:50:36 GMT

The FDA on Monday advised doctors to refrain from using Heparin made by Baxter Healthcare after receiving 350 reports this year of vomiting, nausea and breathing difficulty. Heparin is a blood thinner used in surgery and dialysis. Officials first noticed problems after four children who were injected with heparin suffered serious allergic reactions. Government inspectors are examining Baxter's manufacturing sites to determine the cause of the problem, the FDA said. Baxter said it will temporarily stop manufacturing the drug and will cooperate with the investigation.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Blood Thinner Heparin Recalled - UPDATED 2/12/08

Jean Martin — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 09:52:32 GMT

Baxter Healthcare Corporation has announced the voluntary recall of multiple lots of its blood thinner Heparin. Heparin is used to prevent blood clots in people who have certain medical conditions or who are undergoing certain medical procedures that increase the chance that clots will form. The doses subject to the recall are primarily used for hemodialysis and cardiac invasive procedures.

UPDATE 2/12/08: The FDA has cautioned doctors to stop using Heparin manufactured by Baxter Healthcare after receiving 350 reports this year of vomiting, nausea and breathing difficulty. 4 deaths have also been reported. Government inspectors are examining Baxter's manufacturing sites to determine the cause of the problem. Baxter Healthcare produces about half of the heparin used in the United States.

The company began recalling the lots on January 17, 2008 due to an increase in the number of reports of adverse patient reactions that may be associated with the product. Adverse patient reactions have included: stomach pain or discomfort, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased or low blood pressure, chest pain, fast heart rate, dizziness, fainting, unresponsiveness, shortness of breath, feeling your heart beat strong or fast, drug ineffectiveness, burning sensation, redness or paleness of skin, abnormal sensation of the skin, mouth or lips, flushing, increased sweating, decreased skin sensitivity, headache, feeling unwell, restlessness, watery eyes, throat swelling, thirst and difficulty opening the mouth. Some of these reactions may be severe or life threatening.

National attention has recently been focused on Baxter and Heparin because of an overdose of the drug given to the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid due to a mix-up between vials of different Herpain doses that both have blue labels. The same error killed three infants and harmed three others in 2006.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

More Hernia Repair Patches May Be Defective

Jean Martin — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:02:06 GMT

Many patients who had experienced abdominal pain, constipation, bowel obstructions and bowel adhesions after hernia repair surgery contacted a lawyer to determine their legal rights only to be told that they did not have a case because the specific mesh patch used in their surgery was not subject to a recall. We at Shipman & Wright, LLP knew that the defect in the patches had to go beyond any potential defect in the recoil ring and beyond the limited number of patches subject to the recall because too many patients were complaining of the same problems. Now a judge has agreed that the issue should be explored.

What does this mean for you? If you suffered from abdominal pain, bowel adhesions, bowel obstructions or bowel perforations after hernia surgery using a mesh patch for the repair, you may indeed have a legal claim, even if you were previously told that you did not.

On December 22, 2005, the FDA announced a recall of several lots of the Kugel Mesh hernia repair patch. The recall notice advised of failure and breakage of an internal coil ring that could lead to bowel perforations, bowel adhesions, abdominal pain, fever, and tenderness at the implant site or other unusual symptoms. The recall has been expanded twice to include additional shapes, sizes and production lots of the Kugel Mesh Patch, but not all Kugel patches were recalled.

The judge hearing the cases in the Kugel Mesh Patch Litigation MDL has recently expanded the scope of the MDL to include more patches than what were recalled. The judge has also opened up the MDL to include additional Davol and Bard mesh patches, including some that did not contain an internal ring, but were made of a special bi-layered material similar to the Kugel Mesh patches.

Even though some folks suffered the same problems - abdominal pain, constipation, bowel obstructions and bowel adhesions - many lawyers would not take their claim because the patch used had not been recalled. In contrast, Shipman & Wright, LLP filed the claims on the basis that the problems extended beyond that stated in the recall notice. We are happy that a judge has agreed to consider the issue and stand poised to file other cases on behalf of clients who were turned away by other attorneys.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Employment Discrimination - MLK had a dream and a mission

Jean Martin — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 12:16:09 GMT

The time is always right to do what is right. - Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we reflect on all that Martin Luther King, Jr. was able to accomplish in his life cut too short, one can only wonder what he could have achieved for workers' rights and what he could have done to end the on-going discrimination in the workplace. Everyone is quite familiar with his accomplishments in stomping out racial injustice, but just how many of us know that the mission he was pursuing at his death was to champion the rights of workers and to end the in justice and inequality that runs rampant in the workplace. If that Memphis shot had not taken his life, would we now live in a world where people were not fired for the color of their skin or the gender of the body in which they live? Would there truly be equal pay for equal work? Would workers receive the benefits and protections that they ought to receive? Would workers have health insurance? Would everyone have a safe place in which to work? We all dream that dream, but would he have been able to make it a reality? Because it is not yet a reality, Shipman & Wright, LLP fights everyday for the protection of employment rights and equality. This is our continuance of the dream.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Zetia and Vytorin - That Which Does Not Kill Us Make Us Sicker?

Jean Martin — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:38:32 GMT

Yesterday it was announced that, once again, new highly-touted medications are not effective, and worse, may actually do more harm than good. Results from a study regarding Zetia and Vytorin were finally released after much delay and speculation. Much to the public's chagrin, the reports are that Zetia and Vytorin may slightly reduce cholesterol, but they do not reduce plaque build-up in the arteries, and in some cases actually increase the production of plaque. This is not good news for the millions of people who are paying as much as $4 a day for these medications and who need pharmaceutical treatment of their life-threatening heart conditions.

Zetia and Vytorin are marketed as cholesterol-lowering medications by manufacturers Merck and Schering-Plough. Vytorin is a combination of generic Zocor and Zetia. Zetia and Vytorin are prescribed 100,000 times a day and together generate annual sales of $5 billion, with sales up 25% in the most recent quarter over the same period last year.

The study on these drugs was finished in April 2006, but the results were just now made public. There had been much speculation that the results were negative because of the long delay in publishing the data. The manufacturers are acknowledging that Vytorin and Zetia have never been shown to prevent heart attacks or other life-threatening events, in stark contrast to other cholesterol-lowering medications. The public should be outraged that ineffective drugs were allowed to be sold in the first place and should be additionally angry that the manufacturers held these results for so long, each day jeopardizing the health of those patients who have been prescribed Zetia and Vytorin. Knowing that the study showed an increase in the production of plaque in the arteries, the manufacturers should have acted sooner. As it is, Zetia and Vytorin are still being sold.

Cardiologists now have to decide the proper course of treatment for their patients in the wake of these negative results. Patients should never stop taking any prescription medications without the advice of their doctor, but patients taking Zetia and Vytorin should immediately contact their doctors to discuss this situation.

Zetia has been linked to other conditions, including blood disorders involving platelet production. Shipman & Wright, LLP has been investigating these claims on behalf of clients. Now additional investigation will be conducted to determine if patients have other legal claims to pursued.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Jean Martin

Wilmington Personal Injury Lawyer - General Personal Injury

Vytorin and Zetia - Consumers Ripped Off

Yamaha Rhino ATVs Unsafe

ATV Rollover Accidents - Yamaha Rhino's Defective Design

Investigation Reveals Pharmacy Policies Cause Errors

FDA Issues Warning About Heparin

More Health Problems From Fosamax

Blood Thinner Heparin Recalled - UPDATED 2/12/08

More Hernia Repair Patches May Be Defective

Employment Discrimination - MLK had a dream and a mission

Zetia and Vytorin - That Which Does Not Kill Us Make Us Sicker?